Portable computers and hand-held data terminals may be powered by internal batteries that can be recharged by connecting the data terminal to some type of docking apparatus. In addition to recharging the hand-held data terminal's batteries, the docking apparatus may also couple the data terminal to other data processing devices, such as a central processing unit, mainframe computer, local area network, peripheral devices such as printers, bar code scanners or other optical readers, fax, modem, radio frequency transceivers, infra red links, optical links, and the like, so that the collected data within the data terminal may be transferred to these devices for transfer, storage, processing, printout, etc.
The industry has generally manufactured a unique docking apparatus for each hand-held data terminal design, with the shape of a docking unit and placement of electrical data connectors within the docking apparatus being dictated by the shape of the computer and placement of the complementary electrical and data contacts thereon. Typically, docking apparatus designs do not share common parts with similar products on the market. This design philosophy has resulted in higher costs to the consumer than would be possible if some sort of modularity or an interchange of common parts could be used. Furthermore, if the user decides to purchase a different hand-held data terminal, he must usually scrap the previously used docking apparatus and purchase entirely new equipment.
Consequently, there is a need for a standardized universal electrical and data communication port which can be used with a variety of portable computer and docking configurations and eliminates the need for a customized configuration of electrical contacts and data communication links for each new data terminal design.